The president’s overall approval rating, meanwhile, fell only slightly, from 51 percent in last month’s survey to 49 percent in this month’s — within the margin of error.

But even as Obama’s overall ratings have remained high, Americans’ views of the country he’s leading have taken a hit. Thirty-one percent of those surveyed said the country is on the right track, down 7 percentage points from a month ago. Meanwhile, the percentage of Americans who think the country is headed in the wrong direction jumped from 57 percent in February to 64 percent. Wrong-track opinions are at the highest they’ve been since January 2009.

Pollster Cliff Young said rising gas prices have played a key role in leading Americans toward a more negative view of the country. “We are moving into a scenario in the near-term that is much more uncertain given the issue of gas prices,” he told Reuters. “Gas prices specifically are things that affect people’s pocketbooks and have an immediate impact.”

The poll included 1,040 adults and was conducted March 3-6. The error margin is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.